Young Adults + Our Stories 2Uzorak

Addicted to Pornography No More: Artie’s Story

At age twelve, I was introduced to pornography via social media. Before this, I didn’t know what it was; my parents didn’t talk to me about sex.

Viewing pornography eventually turned into an addiction, especially when I was bored. Later, as I started having sex with my girlfriend, that addiction only grew.

When I was in college, I met some Christians. They were fun but without the drinking and partying. They invited me to church, and I gave my life to God at age twenty.

Many of my values began to change, but pornography was still an issue. Slowly, I began to feel convicted about it. I kept telling God I would stop, but then I wouldn’t, and I felt I wasn’t growing in my faith like I needed to be.

Two years later, I really began to focus more on stopping. I noticed I could go longer without it. I read scripture, went to church, and realized pornography wasn’t helping my relationship with God, and it sure wasn’t going to help me if I found a girlfriend. All it did was leave a terrible void in me.

I stopped bringing my phone to certain areas where I knew it could be an issue. I also had a guy friend confess his issue to me, so I opened up about mine. We talked about temptations and keeping each other accountable. It felt good to finally tell someone, and I felt more motivated knowing someone would ask me how I was doing.

I also educated myself about how pornography causes a dopamine hit in the brain. After a while, a person starts needing more intense pornography to get the same level of “high” they need. Porn is fake and glorifies the wrong kind of sex. It also causes us to look more lustfully at other people without considering they are made in the image of God, and He doesn’t want them viewed that way.

Finally, I was delivered fully from the addiction. It was so exciting, and my relationship with God now feels more genuine. It’s also helped take away the issue of lust and how I view women. I have a serious girlfriend, and we keep each other in check and talk about why we don’t want to cross sexual boundaries and what the consequences would be if we did.

Leaving an addiction can be tough because we relapse. But I learned to get back up and try again. God is there to help, and having some form of community support is vital.

Pray Over Your Story

Praise – Thank God for the cross and His unfailing grace and mercy.

Repent – Confess any sexual sins or thoughts you know you shouldn’t be having.

Ask – Ask God for strength in the areas you need and to guard your heart and mind. If you need someone to talk to about this or help with accountability, ask God to show you who that person may be. Also, ask God to help you accept His forgiveness so you can move forward and not live in shame.

Yield – Surrender this area of your life to God. Spend a few moments asking Him to speak to you.